shoulder pain when running

[vegan_bohemian]

Hello,
Ive only been running for a few weeks but something i have noticed from the beginning is that my right shoulder hurts after a few minutes.
I know that being tense can cause this but i regularly shake my shoulders and arms out to relax them but it doesn't make any difference.
The left one doesn't hurt, just the right one, and its really irritating me.
any ideas to what's going on or how to get rid of the pain are greatly appreciated

[runrevolt]

Does this pain go away further into the run?

I had shoulder (and back, neck, leg, etc.) pains when I first started running and sometimes I still have them, like most recently after I was off for awhile. Most likely, it's your body adjusting to new stresses and movements and will work itself out over time, but if the pain gets worse or becomes debilitating, try to see a specialist. Other than that, consider doing arm/shoulder stretches prior to running and throughout the day.

good luck

[vegan_bohemian]

thanks for the quick reply.
The pain only stops when i stop, so it is better if i do interval training but worse when i jog continuously.

[E-P]

Hey Vegan Bohemian,


I used to have same problem. The reason for me was that my right shoulder has always been dislocating slightly and has always been a little bad. Now when running the small constant movement causes pain after while as there is something wrong (very well explained but I am not a doctor ). Anyway, I sorted out my problem by going to gym and getting some muscles around my shoulders and upper-back!

[Gastroplodder]

I second what E-P says.

I often used to get sore shoulders, and sometimes arms and back, when cycling a long way. When I started running they got particularly troublesome, they ached like someone had punched them. I eventually realised that as I never exercised my upper body all that swinging my arms around was too much for my feeble muscles and now I do a few light dumbell and push up sessions a week and the problem seems to have gone away.

(Suppose you're going to tell me you are one of those strong ladies from the body building section now and can spin the likes of me round overhead with one arm while drinking tea with the other )

Nik

[vegan_bohemian]

haha, one day maybe Nik!!
i have a home multi gym i use a few times a week as i am actually trying to get my shoulders and back a bit more muscular and im planning to get some dumbells when i can afford them.

E-P when i was in primary school my right shoulder got dislocated, but i have never had any problem with it since. That is very interesting though. do you think it could be more joint related then?

[abbie]

I often get this when I haven't run in a while and start again. What I found to help for me was realising that I hold my arms sort of awkwardly when I run and making a conscious effort to hold my left arm lower. It is probably nothing to do with it but I had a hunch that doing it let the blood sort of flow through my shoulder easier- because it feels like oddly like a shoulder stitch. I sometimes get a dead hand on that arm as well when the pain is bad, hence I thought moving it around might help. Seems to work for me!

[E-P]

E-P when i was in primary school my right shoulder got dislocated, but i have never had any problem with it since. That is very interesting though. do you think it could be more joint related then?

For me, yes, I think that was the case. It is so long time ago I was told about it that I can't remember. I was years ago in physiotherapy about my knee and then she also had a look on my shoulder as I mentioned that it is slightly dislocating when I move my arm at shoulder height back and forth. She examined it and told me very seriously that I have to do some work-out to get more muscles to "pull the shoulder more together" or after my 40s I won't be able to write any more (and that it'll need a surgery), maybe slight exaggerating but still I took it quite seriously. I did little exercise but then forgot the whole thing (=the average stupidity of human nature). Anyway, when it started to disturb my new running hobby I really had to start to do something about it Well, I am glad I did because now my shoulder won't hurt any more during the runs, I it feels generally better than ever and my upper body doesn't get so tired in long runs.

Hopefully it will work for you too. At least you have nothing to lose if you add some upper-body exercise (and maybe some core as well, although nothing to do with your shoulder) to your weekly routine.

E-P

[46secondanthem]

I have pain in my shoulders also. Although I dont think its because my arms are too weak. To stop the pain during my warm-up (which helps just by warming up) I do
http://www.mybackdr.com/shoulderstretches.gif
some of these, epically the pectorals stretch, that helps a TON when I have pain in the front of my shoulder.
Where is your pain, by the way? In the front, side, back? There are stretches for all of them and they have all helped me a ton.

[vegan_bohemian]

well sort of at the back of my shoulder, but not as far back as the blade, just the top bit. I rotate my shoulders and arms, but i shall try more stretches, thanks.

[mchelle81]

hello im not sure if i might help but thought i would try i was reading mag other day and it said if you run with your hands loose it makes your shoulders tense up and take on the strain

[xrodolfox]

I got really horrible pain in my shoulders when I ran that went away when I swam. Many people have terrible shoulder pain when they swim, that goes away when they run.

My shoulder pain has subsided, and it's PURELY due to how I hold my shoulders when I run. I stress my upper body, and by the end of a run, my shoulders would've worked even more than the legs. I now hold my arms low, pulling back with my elbows, and the pain in my shoulder's never come back.

[ha]

My friend always wore a handbag on one shoulder and when she started triathlon, she got shoulder and back pains. Her smart physio suggested she ditch the fashion and get some function by wearing a bak pack with 2 straps. Sure she doesnt look as fashionable but who cares, her body is way hotter from all the injury free training she has done over the last few years!

Problem shouldered.

I was a bike courier for years with a one strapped messenger bag and switched to double strap. Worked wonders but it took time for my body to adjust.

Im loving it now, years on.

Walk down the street and check peoples shoulder drop that carry one strapped bags..no wonder physio's make so much money!